Поющие в терновнике
Chapter 12
Shedutifullychangedandbottle-fedthered-faced,redheadedmorseljustascustomdictatedsheshould,waitingforthecommencementofsomewonderful,surgingemotion.Butitnevercame;shefeltnodesiretosmotherthetinyfacewithkisses,orbitetheweefingers,ordoanyofthethousandsillythingsmotherslovedtodowithbabies.Itdidn’tfeellikeherbaby,anditdidn’twantorneedheranymorethanshedidit.It,it!Her,her!Shecouldn’tevenremembertocallither.
LuddieandAnneneverdreamedMeggiedidnotadoreJustine,thatshefeltlessforJustinethanshehadforanyofhermother’syoungerbabies.WheneverJustinecriedMeggiewasrighttheretopickherup,croontoher,rockher,andneverwasababydrierormorecomfortable.ThestrangethingwasthatJustinedidn’tseemtowanttobepickeduporcroonedover;shequietedmuchfasterifshewasleftalone.
Astimewentonsheimprovedinlooks.Herinfantskinlostitsredness,acquiredthatthinblue-veinedtransparencywhichgoessooftenwithredhair,andherlittlearmsandlegsfilledouttopleasingplumpness.ThehairbegantocurlandthickenandtoassumeforeverthesameviolentshadehergrandfatherPaddyhadowned.Everyonewaitedanxiouslytoseewhatcolorhereyeswouldturnouttobe,Luddiebettingonherfather’sblue,Anneonhermother’sgrey,Meggiewithoutanopinion.ButJustine’seyeswereverydefinitelyherown,andunnervingtosaytheleast.Atsixweekstheybegantochange,andbytheninthweekhadgainedtheirfinalcolorandform.
